Apparatus for exposure through a slit



APPARATUS FOR EXPOSURE THROUGH A SLIT Filed May 24, 1967 INVENTOR United States Patent U.S. Cl. 355-11 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electric photographic device having a fixed planar document supporting window and a pair of lamps mounted on either side of a first reflector beneath the window and inclined at a 45 angle relative to the window. The first reflector and lamps are movably mounted to provide linear scansion of a document placed face-down on the window. A second fixed and a third movably mounted reflector are separated by a movably mounted lens system to receive the image of the document reflected by the first reflector and direct it in a folded, generally U- shaped path onto photosensitive paper which has been severed from a roll. The lenses and the first and third reflectors are interconnected to maintain a constant ray path distance from. the fixed second reflector. A suction fan holds the photosensitive paper on a movable belt and dries the exposed paper after development in a liquid bath.

This invention relates to an apparatus for exposure through a slit employed for an electric photographic duplicator, more particularly an apparatus which comprises a pair of movable mirrors moving along a stand for manuscript and a stand for fixing printing paper, a fixed mirror connecting said mirrors optically, and a lens which makes integral motion with one of said movable mirrors.

An object of the present invention is to make use of room within the electric photographic duplicator by arranging an apparatus for slit exposure along inside of an outer wall of the duplicator.

Another object of the present invention is to build the duplicator into a compact structure.

The details of the present invention will be described hereinafter referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment according to the present invention is shown.

In the drawing, numeral 1 denotes a side plate of the duplicator, a roll for printing paper 2 is supported by a shaft 3. Numeral 4 denotes a pair of rolls for drawing out printing paper, and 5 is a movable edge of a cutting device for the printing paper, 6 is a fixed edge, 7 is a pair of guide rolls to feed printing paper which has been cut to a pre-determined length with said cutting device into an electrification device 8. Numeral 9 denotes a belt for conveying printing paper which is driven by a driving roll 10 and rides on several guide rolls 11, 12 and 13'. Numerals 14 and 15 denote guide rolls which are pressed to the conveyor belt 9. An absorption case 16 is provided so as to contact its absorbing surface with said conveyor belt 9. A developer tank 17 has a developing tray 18 fixed at the top thereof. A supply tank 19 for developer is provided over said developing tray 18. Symbol 2a shows a printing paper which has been cut for pre-determined length. The conveyor belt 9 which attracts the printing paper 2a cut for pre-determined length by means of the attraction case 16, automatically stops as said printing paper 2a arrives at pre-determined position as shown in the drawing (device therefor is not shown in the drawing).

Numeral 20 denotes a stand for mounting manuscript, which is made of transparent material fixed to the top plate of the duplicator, and 21 denotes the first movable mirror provided movably before and behind in the lower position of said stand for mounting manuscript 20. Said first movable mirror can be shifted from the position shown in the drawing to the position shown by dotted line 21 with inclination of 45 degrees against said stand for mounting manuscript 20, or corresponding distance from front end to back end of said stand for mounting manuscript. A lamp 22 is provided with supporting members for said movable mirror 21 (not shown) in order to illuminate manuscript which is mounted on the stand 20.

Under fixed mirror 23 of which reflection surface is parallel to the first movable mirror, a lens 24 for duplication and the second movable mirror 25 are provided. The lens 24 and the second movable mirror 25 are substantially integrated and can be moved up and down in cooperation with the movement of the first movable mirror 21. The length of light path between said lens 24 and the first movable mirror 21 is always kept constant as both of which move up and down. For moving said first movable mirror 21 and the lens 24 in different directions keeping constant length of light path, both of them must be connected with a flexible member such as string or chain and must be driven by suitable device. This device for driving the optical system is coordinated with said conveyor belt 9' for the printing paper (not shown), so that if the printing paper 2a comes to the pre-determined position as shown in the drawing, then the conveyor belt 9 will stop and at the same time, said driving device will start to movethe first movable mirror 21, lens 24 and the second movable mirror 25 to the positions shown in dotted line 21', 24' and 25 and to provide electrostatic latent picture of the manuscript on the printing paper of manuscript.

As soon as the second movable mirror 25 moves to the lowest position shown by dotted line 25', the conveyor belt 9 starts motion to feed the printing paper 2a on which electrostatic latent picture is formed into a developing tray 18. The operation to stop the conveyor automatically or start motion thereof is performed by well known micro-switches or electromagnetic switches (not shown in the drawing).

A developer tank 17 and a feed tank 19 for injection of developing solution communicate with each other by means of a pipe to feed developing solution within said tank 17 into feed tank 19 continuously with a suitable pump (not shown). The developer within said feed tank 19 is fed through a small hole 19a into a developing tray 18 whereby printing paper passing through said developing tray is developed. The developer fed to the developing tray 18 is circulated again to the developer tank 17.

The printing paper which has passed through said developing dish 18 is discharged onto the stand 32 which is provided obliquely at the front of the duplicator, through a belt 26, pressing rolls 27, 28 and 29, a guide plate 30 and a sending roll 31. A pipe 33, the open end of which is directed to the conveyor belt 26 blows hot air against the printing paper which is fed by said conveyor belt 26 to fix the toner picture on the printing paper. Said pipe 33 is connected with a fan 34 driven by a motor and provided with said attraction or suction case 16. Said fan 34 provides a pre-determined suction to said attraction case 16 and a warm air blast to pipe 33.

An electron photo duplicator including exposure apparatus through a slit according to the present invention, which comprises a pair of movable mirrors moving along a stand for manuscript and a stand for fixing printing paper, a fixed mirror connecting said mirrors optically and a lens a makes integral motion with one of said movable mirrors, is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawing. But any duplicator having structure wherein the directions of a stand for mounting manuscript and of a stand for fixing printing are different to each other can be applied with the present invention.

The exposure apparatus through a slit according to the present invention can be provided along inside of outer wall of a electron photo duplicator, so that the space within the duplicator can be utilized widely. In other IWOI'dS the exposure apparatus through a slit according to the present invention does not require much space as required by hitherto known type of duplicator, so it is advantageous for a duplicator to adopt the present apparatus from the view point of compact structure. Particularly the present apparatus may be advantageous for a duplicator of longitudinal type.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric photographic device, a stand at the top thereof adapted to support a manuscript to be copied, a first inclined mirror mounted to travel underneath said stand and to receive light rays therefrom and reflect them in a direction parallel to the plane of said stand, a fixed mirror underneath and at one side of said stand and adapted to receive thelight rays reflected from said first movable mirror and reflect them at an angle of 90 downwardly in relation to said stand, a second movable mirror inclined in relation to the path of the light rays reflected from the fixed mirror so as to send said rays in a path at right angles to the light path leading to said second movable mirror so that said rays are reflected in a direction parallel to the plane of said stand and in the opposite direction to the rays which are reflected from the first movable light mirror, a lens between said fixed mirror and said second movable light mirror adapted to transmit light rays from the former to the latter and movable in a straight path between said last mentioned mirrors and means for simultaneously moving said first movable mirror and said second movable mirror and said lens all at the same time so as to maintain said lens and said movablemirrors a constant distance apart in the light ray path from said fixed mirror, photosensitive paper mounted in a vertical plane opposite to the'path of the second movable mirror and adapted to receive light reflected from said mirror, a suction -fan, said photographic sensitive paper adapted to be held on a movable belt by means of suction created by said suction fan so that said photographic paper can be scanned by the light rays from said second movable mirror as the latter moves up or down in its path of travel, means for moving said photosensitive paper through a suitable developing bath and carrying it be' tween a belt and a series of rollers, and means to expose said paper to the air discharged from said exhaust fan in order to dry said photographic sensitive paper.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,439,055 4/1948 Pratt et al 355-49 2,478,555 8/1949 Yule 355-49 2,487,671 11/1949 Pratt et a1 355-49 X 3,323,412 6/1967 Tchejeyan 355-66 3,330,181 7/1967 Jakobson 355-66 X 3,397,627 8/1968 Bruning et a1 355-27 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner R. A. WINTERCORN, Assistant Examiner U.S. c1. X.R. 355-28, 43, 60, 66 

